farmer



June 14 1927.

G. W. FARMER STATION INDICATOR Filed May 24. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

x I F25" Wlkneas es cal/MA 680F563 H F'or'm er',

June 14 1927. I 1,632

G. w. FARMER STATION INDI CATOR Filed May 24. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet? 680/58 l4! Farme arvue/rci w 1,2,4 3mg 1 w a. W. mama STATION INDICATOR FiiedMay 24. 1926 a Shana-Sheet 3 Patented June 14, 1927.

UNITED li i i f iilfil i. i r M- STATION INDIGATGBJ.

' Application filed May 24,

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inchangeable exhib itors, and has more particular reference to a device ofthis kind particularly serviceable for useas a station or streetindicating device for cars and other public vehicles.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide a device ofthe above character which embodies novel features of conl structionwhereby a web carrying the names of the stations or intersecting streetsor stopping places can be given a step by step movement so that the nameofieach street or stopping place will be displayed at the proper time toenable the passengers on the car or vehicle to get off at the properstreet without difliculty.

Further 1 objects of the invention are to provide a street orstationindicator which 'is simple and durable in construction and vefficient inoperation, and which can be readily set to reverse the direction ofmovement of the .web at the end of the route.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a streetor stationindicator embodying apair of reels, a web carrying the names of thestopping places and adapted 'to be wound from one reel onto another andvice versa, and manua'lly controlled means for effectively rotatingeither desired reelwhereby travelling movement of the web will be causedin the desired direction.

Qther objects will appear as the nature of the invention is betterunderstood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in theaccompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a street or station indicatorconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof looking toward the left ofFigure 1 t Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the device shown inFigure 1, drawn on an enlarged scale, and with the casing removed;

Figure at is a horizontal section taken substantially upon line ea ofFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the -device shown in Figure 3looking toward the left of the latter figure;

Figure 6 is a verticalsection taken sub- 1926. Serial No. 111,459.

,stantially upon line 66 of Figure 1 and drawn on an enlarged scale; and

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram showing the manner of including theelectro-magnet and web illuminating lamp in a suitably controlledelectric circuit with a source of electricity.

Referring more in detail to the drawings,

the present invention embodies a suitable casing 5 having a centralhorizontally elongatedview opening 6 in the front thereof and providedwith a rear closure section or door 7 provided with suitable means forreleasably holding the same in closed position as shown in F gure 2. Atransparent panel or window 8 is secured and fitted in the view openingfor obvious purposes.

Suitably fitted and secured within the casing 5 is a supporting frameincluding a pair of spaced upright frame plates 9 respectively disposedadjacent the opposite sides of the casing. Respectively journaled in thetop and bottom of the frame are horizontal shafts 10 and 11 upon whichreels 12 and 13. are respectively secured, and these reels are of suchlength as to extend from one frame plate 9 to the other as shown clearlyin Figure 3. A; flexible translucent web 14 having the names of thestations 'or streets suitably provided thereon is arranged within thecasing and has its ends respectively attached to the reels 12 and 13 sothat when one reel is rotated in one direction and the other reelallowed to freely rotate in the same direction, the web will be woundupon the first named reel and off of the second named reel and viceversa. The forward edge portions of the upright frame plates 9 arerigidly connected by a pair of spaced horizontal rods respectivelydisposed above and below the view opening 6 directly behind the frontwall of the casing, and journaled upon these rods are anti-frictionrollers or sleeves 15 in front ofrwhich the web 14 moves so that theexhibited portion of the web is effectively maintained in proximity tothe view opening or window and free movementof the web facilitated.

The shafts 10 and 11 of the reels project through a frame plate '9 atone side of the frame and have ratchet wheels 16 and 17 respectivelyfixed thereon outwardly of said frame plate. A horizontal shelf orsupporting plate 18 rigidly connects the frame plates 9 directly abovethe lower reel 13 as provided with liver a '2 a pair of pawls 22 and 23which A respectively project upwardly to the ratchet wheel 16 anddmvnwardly to the ratchet wheel I? is also shown in; Figure 5, saidpawls being normally yicldingly swung toward and in operative relationto the ratchet wheels 16 and by means of helical tension springs or thelike as indicated at 24:. It is thus apparent that u on verticalswinging movement of the actua lever E20 first in one direction and thenin the other, the pawl 22, it allowed to assume an operative relation tothe ratchet wheel. 16 while the pawl 23 is held out of operativerelation with the ratchet wheel 17 will en'eet a step by step rotationof the upper reel 12' to cause the web l to he wound thereon and to beat the same time unwound from the lower reel 13, while upon renderingthe pawl" 22 inoperative and permitting the pawl 23 to assume anoperative position, the ratchet wheel 17 will be actuated for rotatingthe lowerreel 18' in the opposite direction so as to cause the web 14:to undergo a step by step movement in winding uponthe lower reel 13 andoil of the upper reel 12'. Ohviously the direction of movement of theweb will be determined by the direction of travel of the vehicle uponwhich the station indicator is installed, the direction of movement ol':the web being reversed at each end of the route. Manually controlledmeans is provided. tor rendering either desired pawl inoperative and atthe same time permitting the other pawl to assume an operative position, and such means preferably embodies a transverse rocleshatt 25 journaled horizon tally in the frame plates 9" and having one endprojecting outwardly througl'i. a side of the casing 5 and provided withan actuating knob 26 having an indicating hand or pointer 27, the otherend of the shaft 25 terminating below the upper ratchet wheel 16 andhaving a double arm lever 28 fixed thereon. One arm of the lever 28 hasa push rod 29 pivoted thereto, and this push rod. 29 slidably projectsthrough a suitable guide 30 fixed to the adjacent "l rame plate 9 asshown in Figure 5, the free end portion oi the push rod heing providedwith a lateral projection or pin 31 armngcd to engage against the innerside oil the pawl 22. The other arm of the lever '28 is operativelyconnected by means of a link 32 with one end of a lever which is pivotedat 33" intermediate its ends upon the adjacent. frame plate 9 andwl-i-i-cl-r has a lateral pin or projection 34 rigid with thetreelowcrend thereof and arranged to engage the inner side of the lowerpawl 23. 1t is thus apparent that when the rock shaft 25 is turned inone direction the push rod 29 is actuated to force the pawl to an.inoperative position away from the. associated ratchet wheel 16 againstthe action of the associated spring 2%, the lever 33 being at the sametime swung so as to move the projection- 84 away from the pawl 23 andallow the associated spring 24 to swing said pawl 23 toward and inoperative relation to the ratchet wheel 17. In a like manner, turning ofthe rockshaft 25 in the opposite direction will effect movements of thepush rod and lover 33so as to allow the pawl 22 to return.to'operativeposition and cause the pawl 23 to swing to an inoperative position.Suitable 'indicating lines or the like may be provided upon the adjacentside of the casing 5 for association with the pointer 27 as indicated in.li igure 2 so that the conductor or motor-man may readily ascertainwhich pawl is operatively disposed and thereby determine in whatdirection the web 114: will move when the actuating lever 20 is swungback and forth.

its shown, the pawls and 23 are arranged at opposite sides of theratchet wheels 16 and 17 and said ratchet wheels are reversely arrangedso that the pawl :22 will cause rotation of the ratchet wheel 16 andupper reel 12 in one direction upon downward" movement of the same,while the pawl 28 will cause rotation of the ratchet wheel 17 and lowerreel 13 inthe opposite direction upon its downward. movement. is to beunderstood that the lever 20 is moved for a su'fiicient distance tocause the pawls 22 and. 23 to turn the reels l2 and 13 a sufficientdegree for causing the web 14 to travel such distance as is necessary tomove the ame of one station or stop-ping place from registry with theview opening and to move the next succeeding station name or stoppingplace in view behind said opening upon each actuation of said lever 20in a down ward? direction, the upward movement of the lever 20 being ofan idling nature to reset the pawls for the next actuation of theratchet wheels I V I The lever 20 is normally swung upwardly by means ofa helical. tension spring which has its upper end. anchored to ahorizontal transverse rod 36 connecting the tran'ie plates 9 above thelever 20, and which has its lower end attached to the lever 20 as shownclearly in Figures 3 and 6. to ell'ec't the downward movementof thelever 20 for actuation of the respective ratchet wheels, I prefer toprovide an elec- In order t re-magnet 37 which is rigidly. mounted uponthe supportingplate or shelf 18 beneath the free end portion of thelever 20 so as to becapable of attracting said lever when energized andthereby swinging the lever downwardly against the action of the spring35. The electroanagnet is preferably included in a. circuit controlledby a push button 38 or other suitable switch as shown in Figure 7,such'switch being located within convenient reach of the conductor ormot-orman of the vehicle. In this way the switch 38 may be closedbetween stopping places for energizing the electromagnet 37and causingthe downward movement of the lever 20 for advancing the web tithedistance necessary to bring the next succeedin sto pin lace in Jositionbe- ZD 2D bind the view opening 6. As soon as the push button or switch38 is released or 'opened-, the electro-magnet 37 will be deenergizedand the spring will return the shown in Figure 7 this lamp 40 may beincluded in a. circuit in series with the electro magnet 37 so as to belighted when the electro-magnet is energized and thereby attract theattention of the passengers upon each actuation of the web; However, itis ob vious that the lamp 40 may be included in a circuit controlledby'a switch separate from the switch 88 so that the same may be lightedand allowed to remain lighted at all times independently of theoperation of the switch 38, said switch 38 being then solely used "forthe energization of the electro-n'iagnet 37. Referring to Figure 7 indetail. it will be seen that one side of the eleotro-magnet 37 isconnected by means of a wire 41 with one side of the source ofelectricity such as the battery 42 whose other side is connected to oneterminal of the lamp 40, the other terminal of the lamp 40 beingconnected to one terminal of the switch 38, and the other terminal ofthe switch 38 being connected to the'other side of the electro-magnet 37by means of a wire l3.

lVith the parts positioned as shown in the drawings, it will be seenthat when the push button 38 is actuated the electro-magnet 37 will beenergized for swinging the actuating lever 20 downwardly and therebycausing the pawl 22 to effect a partial rotation of the upper reel 12 soas to cause upward travel of the web 14 for bringing the next succeedingstation name in view behind the view opening 6. When the push button 38is then released for breaking the circuit of the electro-magnet 37, thelatter will be tie-energized so to release the lever 20 and allow thespring 35 to swing said lever 20 upwardly to its normal position. inthis way the pawl 22 is raised for being re-set or positioned ready forits next actuating influence upon the ratchet wheel 16. During thisswinging movement of the lever 30 the pawl will reciprocate without e'ing the ratchet wheel. 17 or influencing reel 13 by reason of the factthat s" 23 is maintained out of tchet wheel 17 by the lu 1 hen thevehicle reaches the route in one direction of trav; t ductor orinotorlnan will rock the 1.,

so as to swing the. pawl 22 away from the ratchet wheel 16 and maintainthe same in an inoperative position relative to the ratchetwheel 16. andat the same time swinging the lever 33 so that the. pawl 2&3 may swinginwardly into operative relation with the ratchet wheel 17 under theinfluence of the associated spring 24. Upon the return trip of thevehicle the energizationof the electro magnet 37 will then obviouslyetlect actuation of the ratchet wheel 17 for causing the web 14 totravel step by step in a downward direction so that the names of the.tions are properly brought to view in the proper sequence.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the construction andoperation as well as the advantages of the present invention will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Minor changes may be made without dcparting from the spirit and scopeoi. the iuvention as claimed.

What I claim as new is 1. In a station indicator, an upright frame,reels respectively journaled in the frame at the top and bottom of thelatter, a Vertically swinging actuating lever pivoted in the framebetween said reels and projecting outwardly through one side of theframe, ratchet wheels rigid wit-h the reels outwardly of said side ofthe frame, a pair of pawls pivoted to the projecting end of the actuaing lever and extending to the respective ratchet wheels, yieldablemeans to normally swing the pawls toward and in operative relation tothe respective ratchet wheels, and manually operable means for swingingeither desired pawl to an inoperative position away from the associatedratchet wheel and simultaneously allowing the other pawl to swing towardand in operative relation with the associated other ratchet wheel.

2. In a station indicator, an uprightframe, reels respectively journaledin the frame at the top and bottom of the latter, a vertically swingingactuating lever pivoted in the frame between said reels and projectingout- Ila) weirdly through one side of the frmne,mtcl1et wheels rigidwith the reels outwardly'of said side of the frame, apeir o't' pnwlspivoted to the projecting end of. the actuating lever and extending tothe respective 'zitchet wheels, yieldehle means to normally swing thepowle toward and in operative relation to the res iectjive ratchetwheels, and me, unlly operable means to]: swinging either desired pow!to an inoperative position away front the associated intchetwheel andsimultaneously allowing the other pawl to swing toward and. in operativerelation with the associated other ratchet wheel, said last named meansembodying movable actuatingelements engaging the inner sides of thepewls and a nmnuelly operable operatingconnection between said actuatingelements for effecting release of either desired one of the letter fromhe adjacent pawl and sinjinlttineously forcing the other actuatingelement against the other pawl.

3. in a street or ition indicator, :1 pair of reels ou'rnuled,horizontnilv superpos-zcd :ed relation, weh carrying the names nostreets or i tions and a tached to 21nd .io' between said reels, at'erticzilly actuating lever mounted between a pair ct ratchet wheelsrespecd with the respectire reels, :2 pair ntely projecting pewlspivoted to the lever and extending along side the re- :.;pective ratchetwheels tor movement towerd and away from the latter, yieldshle mean;acting to normally swing the pawls toward the ratchet wheels, apush rodslidehly mounted adjacent one pawl and engaging the inner side of thelatter, alever pivoted intermediate its endssnd havingone end engagingthe inner side of the other pawl, and a manuallyopersble rock shaftoperatively connected to the push rod and the let ,r forsimultaneouslyell ecting movement.

wheel fixed toone end of each of said reels,

en. actuating arm lying between said reels having one end pivotallysecured to enable the: tree end thereof to swing; vertically, a pair ofrigid arm members extending in opposite directions from the free end ofsaid ectuzttii'ig arm and torn'ied their free ends to set up ratchet.engaging pewls, means normally acting to draw said pewls toward an:uljucentratchet wheel, means for causing the tree end of saidactuating; arm to swing dowi'iwsrdly at will tor the actuation of saidpewls, and a pawl control mechanism comprising 2i horizontally arrangedshittahle arm hinting menus for engaging one of said arm members, aswinging;- arm arranged to extend at right angles to said horizontal armand pivoted intermediate its ends, a finger member carried at one end ofsaid swinging arm and engaging one side of the other of said pawls, andoscillating means connected wit 1 said. horizontal arm and said swingingarm for simultaneously actuating the two arms, said horizontal arm, whenmoved toward its adjacent pawl acting to disengage the same from theadjacent ratchet and said pivoted arm being simultaneously move-(l torelease its adjacent pawl for engagement with the adjacent ratchet.

ture.

In testimony whereof I er'lixmy signa-

